The invention relates generally to a holder for a bag, and more particularly to a device for retaining a bag having handles in an open, supported position. The invention is particularly adapted to the type of plastic bag commonly used in supermarkets and the like.
Various devices for holding bags, such as plastic supermarket bags, in at least a partially open position are well known in the art. These holders take any of a number of forms, including for example the holders disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,706 to Sedlik; U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,694 to Barteaux; U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,791 to Lanzen; U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,748 to Nguyen; U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,407 to McKenzie; U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,408 to O""Grady; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,521 to O""Hanlon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,706 to Sedlik discloses a bag holder including a back and two spaced forwardly projecting arms having notches to retain the bag handle, and top edges to maintain the bag in a fully open condition. The arms extend from the back and each include top handle notches. Each of the top handle notches includes a central tab. A pair of bag upper edge notches are also formed in each arm. In use, the handles of the bag are positively retained around their corresponding central tabs. The handles are looped around the central tabs and rest on an inside portion of the arms. The front and rear edges of the bag are held in place by the bag upper edge notches.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,694 to Barteaux discloses a bag holder having a support frame and a pair of collapsible swing arms connected on opposed ends of the support frame. Adjustable and lockable mounting brackets are provided for removably mounting the support frame on a support surface, for example, a drawer. The bag is retained in an open position on the swing arm by looping the handles of the bag around retention posts and slots. The bag holder further includes a deflection plate used to deflect refuse into the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,791 to Lanzen discloses a bag holder including a base attachable to a vertical surface, and a pair of hinged arms which are hingedly connected to the base and constructed to support a bag having handles in an open position. Nestable spaces for the arms are provided within the surface of the base, and hinges connecting the arms to the base permit the arms to be turned from the nested position to the open or useful position. The handles of a bag are looped over spaced notches formed in the upper edge of each arm such that the central portions of the handles lay on an outside surface of the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,748 to Nguyen discloses a device for supporting a bag with handles within a receptacle. The bag supporting device is positioned over the ends of the receptacle and each include a bag supporting portion for receiving the handles of the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,407 to McKenzie discloses a holder or stand used to hold shopping bags having handles for reuse as refuge containers. The stand includes a shallow base pan which provides a platform for the bag, and also includes taper side risers, each side riser having a tapered neck riser over which the plastic bag handles are placed in order to hold the bag in an open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,408 to O""Grady discloses a bag holder having a back panel which is securable to an interior surface of a kitchen cabinet door, and a pair of side panels which are pivotally coupled to the back panel. The pair of side panels each include a horizontal upper edge having a pair of small arcuate recesses formed therein in spaced relation and dimensioned to receive opposing sides of the handles of bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,521 to O""Hanlon discloses a bag holder including a body having a pair of open ended slots which open onto an upper side of the body. In use, the handles of the bag are received within the slots. The holder further includes a hook element which can be positioned over a cabinet door or the like, and an expander, used to expand the diameter of the bag.
All of the bag holders disclosed in the above-identified patents are designed to hold a bag in at least a partially open position, the bag including a pair of handles which are utilized to removably secure the bag to the holder. While bag holders of the aforementioned type are useful in holding bags with handles, they do not always do so in a reliable manner capable of providing sufficient support for items placed in the bag. In addition, some of the holders are relatively complex in their design both in terms of manufacture and use. Therefore, there is a continued need in the art for a holder which can provide support to a bag with handles in order to maintain the bag in an open position, which is easy to use and manufacture, and which provides sufficient support when filled.
It is an object of the bag holder disclosed herein to provide a device which can be used to recycle plastic bags having handles so that they may be used again in an efficient manner, for example to hold items such as refuse. The holder is simple in both construction and use, and provides support to the bag in an open position, even when the bag is full. The holder includes a mounting member designed to removably mount the holder to a support structure, for example, a cabinet door or drawer. A pair of support arms extend from either side end of the mounting member and are supported thereon, the handles of the bag being removably interlocked with the support arms during use. The support arms preferably include a pair of notches on an upper edge thereof, along with a pair of cutout portions on the corners disposed between the lower and side edges of each of the support arms. The holder may also include a reverse flange or hook extending from a top edge of the mounting member, the hook being designed to removable mount the holder over the top edge of the support structure. In one embodiment, the holder is constructed as a single unitary device. In use, the handles of the bag are interlocked through the upper notches, extend over an outer surface of either arm, and are secured within the lower corner cutout portions of each arm. The interlocking of the handles and the arms allows the bag to maintain an open position, while providing sufficient support for items placed within the bag during use.